


The Sound of Silence

by Caitlin SnowFrost (HarleyJQuinzel)



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-23 03:00:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11980680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarleyJQuinzel/pseuds/Caitlin%20SnowFrost
Summary: Summary – Following her abduction by Zoom, Caitlin struggles to regain control over her life. Two-shot set during the events of 2x22; between Black Siren’s capture and Henry Allen’s death. Caitlin Snow/Cisco Ramon friendship.





	The Sound of Silence

Under a hood of darkness, Caitlin Snow turned off the street, driving down to the underground parking lot. She glanced to the rearview mirror. The automatic, metal doors were closing behind her car. Her apartment building was safe and secure; one of the safest in the city. A fact she truly appreciated that night.

She navigated the curves and ramps with ease. The local radio station played one of Britney Spears’ old songs. Not her usual music of choice, but she wanted light, bright, and upbeat. Britney fit the bill.

A shaky breath escaped her lips as she pulled into her usual spot. Earlier she’d felt liberated, when she, and Cisco, impersonating their Earth-Two doppelgangers, took down Black Siren. She’d felt she was moving past merely being afraid. But now, sitting alone in the idle car, with Britney’s crescendo coming to its end, her adrenaline was wearing thin. 

She hadn’t been away from her friends and Star Labs since the kidnapping. The uncertainty was creeping and prickling beneath her skin. Zoom was out there. Likely furious after his plans were thwarted.

She should have accepted a ride home from Cisco. He’d gone as far as offering to sleep on her couch so she wasn’t alone on her first night home. She’d been stubborn. Too intent being capable and brave.

When she’d been held captive, she’d wished for comfort, her things, and her own space. Being anxious to go home seemed foolish. She couldn’t very well sleep at Star Labs forever. Sleeping in her own apartment, though daunting, would be a step forward.

“Here we go,” she whispered and cut the engine.

Without the disc-jockey for company, the white noise swirled in her ears. Instinctively, she glanced over her shoulder. The parking lot was quiet and deserted. Most residents arrived home hours ago. There was no one around, yet doubt churned within her stomach.

“You can do this.” She was close friends with a superhero. She’d helped save the world more than once. So, she reasoned, she was perfectly capable of getting out of her car, and walking to the elevator. Without another thought, she grabbed her purse and keys, and climbed out of the car.

A door slammed at that exact moment, sending Caitlin whirling so fast she almost lost her balance. A scream caught in her throat. She half expected to see Zoom looming over her.

Her heart thrummed painfully. A fresh wave of shame washed over her. Scanning the area, she easily located the source of the noise. A young man, her age, dressed in a tailored suit, armed with a bouquet of flowers, and a paper bag full of groceries. He strode toward the elevators, while she stood frozen to the spot.

“Get a grip, Caity,” she murmured. Her mind flickered to the time spent with Killer Frost in Zoom’s lair. Killer Frost was the only person to call her ‘Caity’ since her parents.

Caitlin pushed the unwanted association down. She moved to the elevator, her spiked heels tapping rhythmically against the asphalt. To her surprise she found the man in the tailored suit holding the elevator open for her.

“Caitlin?” His handsome face lit up with mild amusement.

She recognized him instantly. Brandon, he’d introduced himself to her the day she moved in. Ronnie had never liked him, certain that Brandon had an overtly obvious attraction to her. Caitlin had dismissed the theory. But, given the way he was looking at her, maybe there was some substance to Ronnie’s claim.

“Wow! You look amazing. Going to a costume party?”

Immediately, Caitlin eyes fell to the curly ends of the platinum blonde wig. She was still dressed as Killer Frost.

“Cosplay,” she attempted by way of explanation. She’d felt liberated in the clothes, the skin, of Killer Frost; taking down a dangerous metahuman made her feel confident and capable. But presently, under Brandon’s amorous eye, she felt self-conscious.

“Oh cool. Cosplay’s cool.” Brandon continued, though she wished he wouldn’t. “I haven’t seen you in a while. Been away on vacation?”

“Something like that….” She huddled into the small leather jacket, folding her arms across her chest. Her eyes flickered to the glowing red numbers counting upwards. She willed the floors to go by faster.

“Central City these days,” Brandon turned his attention from her, to the newspaper he held. Caitlin’s eyes trailed over the page. Iris’s headline, and Zoom’s disturbingly dark image, were splashed over the sheet. How a photographer had managed to get the shot, and live to publish it, was beyond her.

“Can’t be too careful,” Brandon concluded.

“Yeah,” Caitlin agreed. Thankfully the elevator reached their desired floor.

“Well, here we are,” the doors slid open. “Ladies first.”

“Thank you,” Caitlin stepped into the corridor. From what little she knew, Brandon seemed nice and harmless, but she hurried away regardless. She thought she heard him murmur good night, and she offered a half-hearted reply over her shoulder.

Finally, at her open, Caitlin fished her keys from her purse. She turned the key, turning on the lights before she entered her apartment. She locked the door, sliding the chain in place immediately. Neither offered much comfort. Zoom could appear wherever he wanted, whenever he pleased. She shuddered involuntarily, recalling countless times she’d sat, thinking she was alone, and he’d materialized.

Keen to forget, she moved to the living area. She glanced around at brighter surroundings, turning on the TV for background noise, and tuning into reruns of Seinfeld. Everything in her apartment was exactly how she’d left it. Neat, tidy, and organized. There was a faint scent of dust and neglect, but that was easily remedied.

But first, she needed a hot shower, and a change of clothes. Her clothes. She traipsed into the bedroom. She tossed the white-blonde wig on to the bed, before peeling off the impossibly tight costume. She wrapped a robe around her body, taking the time to fold her doppelganger’s garments neatly. She placed them in a bag, intending to return them to Star Labs tomorrow. She wanted no trace of Zoom, Killer Frost, or Earth-Two in her home.

In the bathroom, she locked the door before turning on the water. Staring at herself in the mirror, she was met with the haunting image of her doppelganger. Iris had done a good job on the makeup. A little too good. She traced a fingertip across her pale cheek, before freeing her hair from the tight bun. Her brown curls spilled down her back.

Killer Frost had simply woken up like this. Cold, void of feeling, and conscience. She’d become a psychopathic killer at the click of a finger it seemed. Though Caitlin wasn’t sure she believed that. Or, at least, she didn’t want to believe it. Their family lives had not been dissimilar. It scared and saddened Caitlin in ways she didn’t fully understand.

With the steam fogging against the glass, and blurring her reflection, Caitlin allowed herself to imagine what she might be like if she did suffer the same fate someday. Zoom had seen darkness in her. The same darkness as Killer Frost. All she had to do was unlock it.

Suspicion and fear swirled. She looked at the white makeup, the smoky eye shadow, and dark lipstick Iris had so carefully applied. Was it the truth? Was it that easy to shed her morality? Her skin? All she’d been and valued, and succumb to evil?

She wasn’t so sure anymore.

Hunter Zoloman was a mad man. A psychopath with an agenda. He was trying to manipulate her into joining him. She knew that. Yet she couldn’t shake her doubts.

With a low sigh, Caitlin turned from the mirror, and stepped into the shower. The hot water singer her skin but she didn’t care. She lifted her face to the onslaught, hoping to wash away every trace of her double. She allowed herself to cry. Her tears falling away with the rushing water.

She shampooed and scrubbed her skin, quickening her movement the longer she spent in the shower. Her heart fluttered achingly in her chest. The shadows merged and moved in the corners of her eyes. She grew light-headed and short of breath. It was happening again. Just like in Star Labs. She was hearing sounds, seeing things, that she was almost certain weren’t there.

Her ears pricked, her mind conjuring her deepest fears. Reliving her time in lair. The old, lumpy cot. The huge, dusty space. The tapping on the glass. Feeling his presence. 

He’d let her go. She reminded herself firmly, willing herself to believe it.

Closing her eyes, Caitlin stood beneath the cascading water, and rinsed away the shampoo. Jay’s face swam in the darkness of her eyelids. Screaming, she forced her eyes open, blinking against the assaulting soapy lather. She struggled to control her rapid breathes, while the scorching spray crashed down on her.

Shakily, Caitlin sank down to sit in the tub, hugging her knees to her chest. She reached for the tap to cool off the water, hoping to ease her dizziness. She sat, waiting for her pulse to slow. She rested her head against the cool tile, letting the water beat down on her back.

Exhaustion enveloped her, and her eyelids began to droop. She could have fallen asleep then and there, but she heard something. A vague sound, somewhere in the depths of her apartment. Her eyes fluttered in protect, out of the corner of her vision, at the very edge of the crisp, white shower curtain, she detected movement. She snapped back awake. On heightened alert, she sat bolt upright. She’d seen a flash of blue light.

With the notion in her head, she got to her feet, straining to hear over the falling water. She didn’t hear anything but that served as little comfort. 

She held her breath, afraid of what might be behind the opaque shower curtain. He could be lying in wait. Reluctantly, she pushed the thought away. With a trembling hand, she peeled back the curtain, only to find the bathroom empty.

Caitlin bit down on her lip. Admitting defeat, she shut off the shower, and climbed out of the tub. She’d thought she was ready. But that was foolish. She realized it was going to take more than simply stopping an army of metahumans. It was going to take time. Time to heal, and move forward.

She didn’t have to do it alone. She needed to reach out to her friends, to those she considered family. She grabbed the robe hanging on the back of the door, huddling into it. She wiped the steam from the mirror, satisfied that she saw no trace of Killer Frost’s icy exterior. But, instead, she found herself staring at a frightened girl that she barely recognized.  
Padding barefoot to the bedroom, she reached for her iPhone. Instinctively she almost dialed his number. Not so long ago it would have been Jay she would have called. The pain of his betrayal hit her all over again. With an unsteady hand, she hit speed dial. The tone sounded and she hoped he’d answer. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard his voice.

“Hey, Cisco, it’s me.”

“Everything okay?” His voice was laced with concern.

“I…,” her voice quivered with the threat of more tears. Crying was a sigh of weakness according to her mother.

“You need me to come over?”

She could hear the faint rustling of him putting on his jacket, and she hiccoughed a “yes” in response.

“I’ll be right over, okay? Fast! Though not Barry Allen fast.” Cisco assured before hanging up.

While waiting, Caitlin dressed in leggings and an oversized sweater. She pulled her still-wet hair into a loose ponytail, not relishing the thought of the hairdryer. She traipsed through the rooms, checking and double-checking all the windows and doors. She idly thought about getting home security, and fired up her laptop to do a quick search on google.

“Caitlin,” Cisco announced his presence through the door with a light rap of his knuckles. “It’s me.”

“Hi,” she said softly, opening the door. He stepped into the apartment and she attempted a smile, hoping she looked stronger, and more collected, than she felt.

“Hey, come here,” Cisco moved forward to envelop her into a hug.

“I missed my Cisco hugs,” she whispered, burying her face into his jacket.

“It’s going to be okay,” he promised, holding her tightly. He gave her shoulder a little squeeze. It occurred to her, that just as she’d thought she’d never see him, or any of the team again, he’d probably feared the exact same thing.

“Thank you,” she said gently and they broke apart.

“What are best friends for?” Cisco, blessed with a knack of brightening up a somber occasion with his wit and generosity, brandished a brown paper bag. “So, I figured you hadn’t eaten. Your favorite, and chocolate for dessert.”

“I’ll get the plates.” She’d struggled to eat while held captive. Her stomach growled, and she moved to the kitchen.

“I’ll fire up Netflix.” Cisco made his way to the seating area, settling on the couch, remote in hand. He flicked through their options. “What are you in the mood for?”

“Something funny,” she called back while pulling plates from the cupboard. “Nothing scary. No psychos.”

“So that’s a no to zombies?”

“Only if they’re funny zombies. Not the creepy kind.”

“Superheroes?” he uttered hopefully. “There’s the new Iron Man movie?”

“Uh, nah, I want a break from reality.” As soon as she’d said it, she realized how surreal working alongside Barry and Cisco could be. Heroes and villains for Caitlin and Cisco, not so long ago meant a two-hour feature at the local movie theatre, not a daily occurrence.

“Caitlin, I’m not watching Sex and the City again,” Cisco grumbled.

“The Big Bang Theory?” Caitlin suggested, gathering cutlery from the drawer.

“Science, nerds, and humor it is.” Cisco selected the latest season. “Though I have to say it’s still like a day at the office.”

“But no scary metahumans. I only have red wine.” The sole bottle had been sitting on the counter for the past year. Ronnie had lived it. Given the option, he would have survived on red wine and pizza alone. She’d never been much of a red wine drinker, but kept it as she couldn’t bring herself to throw it out.

Cisco grinned, “I got you covered.” He plucked a bottle of white wine from his bags. “Figured you could you a drink.”

Caitlin smiled at her friend, bringing over the plates and glasses. She took a seat beside him. Together they unpacked the food, poured the drinks, and started to eat.

“Umm, orange chickens never tasted so good,” she murmured, savoring the sweet, tangy flavor.

“Too sweet,” Cisco joked, picking up a piece of Mongolian beef with his chopsticks.

“Says the guy who lives on slushies and lollipops.”

“You have your vices,” he nodded to the box of candy he’d purchased especially for the girl who’d never met a chocolate she didn’t like. “I have mine.”  
“But mine don’t result in brain freeze and tooth decay.”

“There is sugar in chocolate, Caitlin.”

She sat back on the couch, curling her legs underneath herself. Watching comedy and joking made her feel normal again. And normal for her was caring for her friends. So, after a few minutes, she broached the question she’d been wanting to ask all day.

“So, what was that? Out there with Black Siren?”

Cisco shrugged, “I don’t know. She was coming at us, and I reached out…, I don’t know.”

“It’s never happened before?”

“No! No, and I don’t know where it came from. Or how to do it again.”

“Want to talk about it?” The way Cisco’s brow crinkled, it was obvious it was troubling him.

Cisco considered the offer and then opened up. “When I met the me of Earth-Two, he was crazy powerful. The things he could do. What he was capable of.”

“You were in awe of him?”

Cisco scoffed at the observation. 

“Come on,” she knew better than that. Knew that slight curl of a mischievous smile meant he wasn’t being entirely honest. “Not even a little?”

“Okay, okay, maybe.” He raised his hand, his fingers and thumb about an inch apart for emphasis. “A smidge.”

“Okay,” Caitlin smiled.

“I’m still getting used to what I can do, Caitlin,” he admitted. “The thing out there with Black Siren. It’s a lot to process.”

“You saved our lives back there,” she reminded him. His momentary burst of power had bought them time against Black Siren’s impending attack. Without Cisco’s outburst, things could have gone very badly.

“Do you ever think…” Caitlin struggled to find the words, her voice trailed off into silence.

“Think what?”

“Well you met your doppelganger and he was evil. I met mine and she tried to kill me. Do you ever think we’ll turn out that way?”

“Evil? I worried about that when I first realized I had powers. But not anymore.”

Caitlin smiled, idly running her fingertips over the stem of her wine glass. Cisco was a good guy with a good heart. He could never turn evil. She believed that truly.

“Why do you ask? Do you have powers now?”

“No, nothing like that.” She was too quick to dismiss the question. 

Cisco smiled and held her gaze. He knew well enough that she was holding back. But he didn’t push the matter. Instead he smiled, wordlessly letting her know he was there if she wanted to talk.

“More wine?” he asked, picking up the bottle.

“Please.”

To be continued ....


End file.
